Lahore, Nov 08 (TNS): On the eve of the ICC Women’s World Twenty 2018, former Pakistan captain Urooj Mumtaz has said that women’s cricket has grown leaps and bounds and is now almost a mirror image of the men’s game.
The 10-team T20 tournament, set to be held from November 9 to 24, will feature Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.
In an exclusive piece for the International Cricket Council, Mumtaz suggested that women cricketers previously used to hold themselves back but have have now realised that they can replicate most things of the men’s game, including the dilscoop, reverse sweep, coming down the track to hit the ball over cover, or any other innovative shot.
Urooj writes that it is imperative that Pakistan does well in the World T20 after failing miserably at the ICC Women’ss World Cup 2017.
“I feel that we are a better unit for T20s,” she opined. “Once we shine in the tournament, the sponsors will come in and domestic circuit will become more professional.”
Urooj, who is a member of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s cricket committee, feels “increasing the player base” is the only way to take women’s cricket to the next level in Pakistan.
“In my opinion, the transformation is yet to happen among Pakistano cricketers because we are yet to identify and develop specialists for different formats,” she said.
“Countries like Australia, England and New Zealand have more competitive domestic cricket and that kind of competition is needed to improve our own player base.”
